The Unfortunate Fates of the Gavle Goat: A Timeline

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Each year, a towering Yule Goat is constructed for the holidays in Gävle, Sweden. But more often than not, the Gävle Goat — or Gävlebocken as it is called in Sweden — doesn’t make it to Christmas. Since it was first built in 1966, it’s almost annually been burned, although arson isn’t its only misfortune.

Here’s a timeline of the rise and fall of the Gävle Goat by Atlas Obscura’s graphic designer Michelle Enemark (scroll right to follow the destruction):

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So what will be the fate of the Gävle Goat in 2013? We’re keeping a close eye on its live web cam, as well as its Twitter and Instagram. Godspeed giant and incredibly flammable Christmas goat!

UPDATE: The Gävle Goat burned on December 20 this year! Here’s a screenshot just after the flames. RIP Gävlebocken:

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